http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/12/reinvesting-arts-education-winning-america-s-future-through-creative-schools

In November 2011 Engage and the Marsh Christian Trust will present an inaugural award to celebrate the achievements of those working in learning and education within gallery or visual arts contexts. Four awards of £500 each will be offered to the winning individuals, to be spent on their Continuing Professional Development.
Please forward attached details to any relevant contacts you think may be interested in your local authority.

Have some art with your coffee http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/corpres/news/showNews.asp?p=4960
East Ayrshire Council reports that a mini-exhibition of stunning stained glass work created by S3-S5 pupils of Grange Academy is on display at the Coffee Press, Bank Street, Kilmarnock.

The youngsters attended Heritage Glass school in the October holidays, organised by the Council’s Creative Minds Team supported by Kilmarnock Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme/ Townscape Heritage Initiative (CARS/THI.)

Education Scotland, the Scottish Government’s national development and improvement agency for education, was launched today.

Led by transitional Chief Executive Dr Bill Maxwell, the agency brings together the functions of Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), the National CPD Team and the Scottish Government’s Positive Behaviour Team.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/07/01114648

Meanwhile Creative Scotland are celebrating their first birthday:

http://bit.ly/kYkseu

The Creativity Portal is just one of the partnerships between the two national organisations leading the way in improving education opportunities and developing creativity in Scotland’s young people.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/files/ngs_programme_004_for_web.pdf

The National Galleries of Scotland’s new Programme for Schools 2011-12 is now available on the NGS website. The NGS have an amazing collection of art, not only from Scotland but from all over the world. The collection is housed in three galleries in Edinburgh.  For more information visit the NGS website http://www.nationalgalleries.org/education.

Artist Rooms Research Partnership

National Galleries of Scotland and Tate are delighted to announce the creation of an innovative Research Partnership bringing together the two museums with a Consortium comprising the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art and the Institute of Education, University of London. The Partnership is being established for a period of five years to deliver an ambitious and far-reaching programme of research into the ARTIST ROOMS Collection and its use as a shared national resource.

This unique Partnership will also draw on the expertise of Learning and Teaching Scotland as an Associate Partner who will provide advice, share knowledge and facilitate connections specifically in relation to education in Scotland.  To see the full ARTIST ROOMS collection please visit www.tate.org.uk/artistrooms and www.nationalgalleries.org/artistrooms. To find out more information about ARTIST ROOMS On Tour please visit www.artfund.org/artistrooms.

East Ayrshire Council reports that 50 pupils from schools across East Ayrshire recently had the chance to try their hands at traditional building skills at Dumfries House, one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes, near Auchinleck. Historic Scotland’s stonemasons, carpenters, slaters, lead workers and brickworkers led activity days where youngsters got expert tuition in traditional building skills.

Primary 6 and 7 pupils from Hillhead, Newmilns and Barshare primary schools and S1 youngsters from Cumnock and Auchinleck Academies attended the hands-on sessions with the trained craftsmen. The young people were also taken on a tour of the 2,000-acre estate by Bill Russell of Dumfries House. Historic Scotland’s Innes Drummond then led groups on visits to the ‘bothy’ in the grounds of the 18th century stately home.

Crafty kids get their hands in http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/corpres/news/showNews.asp?p=4946

Scottish Learning Festival 2011

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/index.asp

The conference programme and registration for this year’s SLF are now available on the SLF website. The programme has all the details you need to book your place at SLF 2011. The full programme of keynote and seminar presentations, along with full details of the range of additional activities at SLF, is only available on the SLF website.

New Dunfermline primary school is ‘Making Space’ to launch architectural publication http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/html/med_prs.htm
Children in Scotland reports that Dunfermline’s newest primary school, Carnegie, will on 29 June host the launch of Children in Scotland’s new publication Making Space: architecture and design for children and young people.

The publication is a permanent record of the Making Space 2010 Programme, run by Children in Scotland with support from OECD’s Centre for Effective Learning Environments and the Scottish Government, which championed innovation, creativity and sustainability in design for children and young people aged 0-18. The programme, which included an international award and supporting conference showcased innovative architecture and allowed educationalists and design professionals to share ideas about and experiences of creating better school buildings and learning environments.

https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsite/GlowTV/default.aspx